MARIVELES, Bataan- A handful of protesters in a passenger jeepney on Wednesday near noon staged near the municipal hall here a lightning rally against the operation of the GN Power Plant.
Distributing leaflets, they claimed that the coal-fired power plant in Barangay Alas-Asin in Mariveles was in the process of a test-run with “black smoke from its chimney seen starting Tuesday morning.”
Mariveles Mayor Jesse Concepcion, however, defended the operation of the plant. GN Power Plant community relations chief Bobet Raceles on the other hand said it was not a test run but a steam blow.
A young man in face mask marked “coal deadly” said they were not from Mariveles but they were sympathizing with others who do not want the operation of the plant.
“Lason ang ibinubuga nito at maraming maapektuhan hindi lamang tao kundi pati mga isda at ibang yamang kalikasan,” he said.
Eric Robeso said they are against GN Power Plant because it is allegedly dangerous and the smoke coming from its chimney poisonous. Robeso claimed he is from Barangay Baseco in Mariveles and one of the leaders of the “No to Coal Coalition.”
“Nakakalason ang usok na magdudulot ng sakit mula sa hangin, tubig kaya nakikiusap kami sa lahat na manindigan, makiisa para huwag paandarin ang planta,” he said.
Oppositors claimed that the plant will use cancer-causing coal.
Concepcion said that if this claim is true, then residents of Mauban in Quezon Province where a coal-fired power plant has been in operation for many years should by now have cancer.
But instead, he said progress was noted in Mauban, that from fifth class, it has been elevated into a first class municipality and may soon attain cityhood.
“Ang mga tumututol hindi naman taga-Mariveles. Kaming taga-Mariveles walang reklamo at nais namin ng progreso. Kung ayaw nila ng progreso sa kanilang lugar, huwag na silang makialam dahil hindi naman ito nuclear na aabot ng Zambales o Pampanga,” the mayor said.
Raceles said the plant will strictly abide with the rules set forth by government on the environment.
“Patuloy ang monitoring ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources at ng Tripartite Monitoring Team para malaman kung sumusunod ba sa alituntunin ang planta,”
He said that there was no test-run yet but a steam blow, meaning the pipes and other components of the plant were being cleaned by steam. He said this process will go on for a week until the steam emission is already very clean.
He pointed to the white smoke that he said was from steam and the grey smoke from the smoke stock or what protesters referred to as chimney as coming from diesel used in running the steam blow.
He said the test-run will be made by October this year and actual operation by January 2013.
Raceles said the power plant has many safety features and claimed it is the newest and most modern coal-fired power plant in the country.
